Consulting Associate - Water Management Sustainability (Entry Level)

erm; Manchester; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

ERM is seeking an early-career water specialist in Manchester with an MSc in Environmental Engineering or related discipline. You will support water risk, water balances, and data analysis across client projects, using Excel and GIS tools to deliver clear summaries and reports.

The role involves desk research, data gathering, and collaboration within project teams to build reusable tools and templates for the Water team. Prior internship or graduate experience is valued.

Qualifications

• MSc in Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Environmental Science, Civil Engineering or related discipline.
• Some relevant professional experience (internship, placement, graduate role) preferred.
• Strong analytical skills and data confidence.
• Good written communication and ability to produce clear technical summaries.
• Strong Excel and Office skills.
• Interest in water stewardship and sustainable water management.

Responsibilities

• Support water risk and industrial water management projects.
• Undertake desk-based research and literature reviews.
• Compile, clean and analyse operational water data from sites and datasets.
• Develop water balances, water accounting tools and project trackers.
• Support GIS/spatial analysis and mapping using public datasets.
• Assist with technical reports, presentations and client deliverables.
• Support site-audit planning and data organisation post-visit.
• Contribute to proposal development with research and inputs.
• Collaborate in knowledge-sharing and tool/template development for the Water team.

Skills

Analytical skills

Data handling

Excel proficiency

Written communication

Team collaboration

Review responsiveness

Education

MSc in Environmental Engineering or related

Tools

ArcGIS Pro

QGIS

Power BI

Excel

SharePoint

Job description

Role Overview

A fantastic opportunity for an early-career water specialist with an MSc in Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Environmental Science, Civil Engineering or a related discipline, and approximately 6-12 months relevant professional experience. The role will support delivery across water balance development, industrial water management, wastewater, mining water management, water stewardship, water risk, water accounting and sustainability programmes.

Specific responsibilities

• Support water risk, water resilience and industrial water management projects.
• Undertake desk-based research, literature reviews and baseline data gathering.
• Compile, clean, validate and analyse operational water data from client sites and public datasets.
• Support development of water balances, water accounting tools and Excel-based project trackers.
• Support GIS/spatial analysis and mapping where required, including compilation of publicly available water, catchment and environmental datasets.
• Assist with preparation of technical reports, PowerPoint outputs, workshop materials and client deliverables.
• Support site-audit preparation, fieldwork planning and post-site-visit data organisation, where relevant.
• Contribute to proposal development through research, credential gathering, formatting and first-draft technical inputs.
• Participate in internal knowledge-sharing and help build reusable tools/templates for the Water team.

Skills & Experience

• MSc in Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, Environmental Science, Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Civil Engineering or related discipline.
• Some relevant professional experience is highly preferred, which may include consultancy, industry placement, internship, research assistantship or graduate role.
• Strong analytical skills and confidence working with data.
• Good written communication and ability to produce clear, structured technical summaries.
• Strong Excel and Microsoft Office skills.
• Interest in water stewardship, corporate water risk, industrial water management, wastewater and sustainability.
• Ability to work collaboratively in project teams and respond constructively to review comments.

Desirable experience

• GIS experience, preferably ArcGIS Pro or QGIS.
• Familiarity with industrial water use, wastewater treatment, mining water management, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, consumer goods or data-centre water issues.
• Experience with data visualisation tools such as Power BI.
• Previous fieldwork, site audit or environmental monitoring experience.

Tools & Software

• Excel for data analysis, calculations and visualisation.
• Word, PowerPoint and SharePoint for document development and collaboration.
• GIS tools such as ArcGIS Pro or QGIS desirable.
• Power BI or other data visualisation tools desirable.

Summary

You will be expected to deliver assigned tasks with guidance and supervision, build consulting and technical capability, contribute positively to project teams, develop confidence in client-ready analysis and reporting, and progress toward owning routine technical tasks and small workstreams over time.

ERM is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive, it's an essential part of what makes ERM a great place to build a career and helps us create better solutions for our clients.

We welcome talent from all backgrounds and provide equal opportunities for every candidate. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or need accommodations during the selection process, we're here to support you. Our commitment doesn't stop at hiring. Once you join us, we'll ensure you have the tools, support, and adjustments needed to succeed and feel a true sense of belonging. Learn more about our Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB) efforts by visiting our website or exploring our 2025 Sustainability Report.